Speed-change mechanism.



PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

A. BALLOGO.

SPEED CHANGE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4. 1906.

Fig.1

'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII UNITED STATESMFATENT, oFFIoEQf ALBERTO BALLOL'U, b" TURIN.

ITALY, ANSIUNOR T0 ITALA FABBRIGK D1 AUTOMOBILI, OF TURIN, l'lAl'lY, A COMP/LS Y.

SPEED-CHANGE'MECHANISM.

- clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art same, reference being had to theaccompanyin drawings, and to letters or figures ofre erence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My present invention has for its object to provide in a speed change mechanism comprising several trains of sliding or movable 2o gears, animproved locking mechanism for automatically preventing the displacement of the ears while out of mesh. v

In the annexed drawings: Figure 1-.is a

. plan view of the trains of gearing of a speed change mechanism. Fig. 2 is a front view partly in section of my improved safety mechanism in its resting position. Fig. 3 is a like ,view showing the mechanism in its operative position. Fig. 4 is an horizontal sectional view on line a a of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an horizontal sectional view on line b-b of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on .line cc of Fig. 4.

1, 2, 3 designate sliding bolts or lock bars suppm'ting respcctivcl lorks 4-, 5 and (3 which control the sliding train ot'gcarings 7, S; 9, 10; and 11, .12 rcspectii'ely. 'lhcso bolts or lock bars slide in grooves lormcd b' ribs 20 on. a fixed picce 14. The gears operated bv'thc bolts engage the corresponding gcars as in likc arrangements, and the bolts ma be moved one at a time l'orward or backward from their resting position by a lever 15. This latter maybe moved axially. and brought into engagement with shoulders or projections to of either of said bolts or bars 1, 2. I; when these latter arc inthcir resting position.

The bolts or bars are provided with angular or side beveled notches 17 corresponding to the ditl'ercnt positions each bar may be caused t asstnnc. Said notches will be engaged by a spring pawl 1N (one tor each bar) holding the bar in each of thc dill'crcnt positions in which it has bccn brought b the rotation of the controlling lcvcr 15.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed December 4, 1906. Serial No. 346,294. I

Patented March 17, 1908.

Vt'hile the lever 15 is in engagement with one of the bars and has brought into mesh a couple of gears, theother bars are, in the known constructions, secured in their resting position only by a pawl corresponding with pawl 18. It frequently happens that owing to the continuous vibrations or to a shock,

one of the resting bars overcomes the action of its spring pawl and byits'displacement causes another pair of gears to engage, Such 'an engagement would of course produce I great damage and to prevent this I provide additional locking means. Each rib 20 throughout the lixed iece 14 has a co-axial recess 19 formed at about half the height of the rib the diameter of said recess being somewhat greater than the thickness of the rib. Each bar has a recess 21 formed in both faces which will register with thereccsscs 19 when .the bar is in its resting position.

In the recesses 19 are placed balls 22, 23, 2 1, 25, of a diameter somewhat smaller than said recesses 19. The recesses 21 have a depth equal to the difference between the diameter of the recess 19 and the thickness of the ribs so tltatwhen a ball fully enters a recess 21 as shown in'Fig. 5, it will not project into the adjoining groove, but will allow the bar therein to he slid.

A retaining member consisting oi an U- shaped piece 26 is slidably mounted in a groove 27 formed transversely to the grooves in the piece 14 beneath the recesses 19; the distance between the two branches oi the U- shaped piece .36 being equal to the width of the piccc 14. plus theabove said diil'erence between the diameter oi the balls and the thickness of the ribs 20.

The several bars being in the position shown in Figs. t, (3, it will be seen by referring to Fig. Fzthat, by moving one of the bars, i a. ban; the two balls situated at its sides will b 'movcd out of their recesses 21 and will therefore automatically lock the other two bars. either directly as in the case whcnmoving the center bar 2 or through the Ushapcd piece 26 controlling the position of the two outer balls when the moved bar is a lateral onc.

it there are only two bars, it is obvious that a single ball placed in the wall or partition bt-twccn the two recesses 21 will be suflicicnt tor the purpose.

1. I u an il'ttcrlocking mechanism, the combination of a stationary member having ribs ber mounted each channel having entering 15 formin 1 parallel channels between them, recesses on both faces, a ball mounted in the said ri s having ce-axial recesses therein, balls loose in said recesses, a transversely slidable member' engaging the balls in the outer ribs, and sliding-.membeis in said channels having recesses on opposite sides toremg member is capable of being locked on both sides.

cei've the ballsin the ribs, whereby each. 311a rib recesses adapted to interlock the slides and a retaining member slidably mounted in the stationary members'having .arms in cons tact With the balls in the' outer ribs'.

my invention, I have signed my name 111 presence of two .snbscribin'g vvitnessesrf ALBERTO BALLoco. W'itnesses:

FRAMENO TIMONUM, LOUIS ALLAN.

- In testimony thatl claim the foregoing as I 

